


Static Space Lovers

by Princess_Of_Puffins



Category: The Good Place (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, F/M, Using Ep2x13 as a jumping off point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-12 23:43:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13558077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princess_Of_Puffins/pseuds/Princess_Of_Puffins
Summary: Jason Mendoza may have gotten a second chance on earth, but who will be his push in the right direction?





	Static Space Lovers

Janet watched meticulously as Jason’s counter spit out his total in realtime. The thin tongue of paper mocked her with every boldly printed number dripping with unworthiness. 

-51.6  
-19.4  
-45.2

Her fingers ran along the tape faster than the counter could produce. With every breath she took, a new negative number materialized in front of her. 

-26.2

Janet nearly tore it in frustration, hands trembling and eyes threatening to water at the sight of another doomed—

+5  
-3.2

He finally did something good that outweighed the bad. Maybe he was improving! Oh, Janet always had faith in her goofy love. He always had the capacity for goodness and love inside of him, just look at his patience with her when—

-98  
-20

No. No, no, no. This could not happen. Statistics like these were a sure-fire, one-way ticket to the Bad Place, no matter how many re-do’s you got. 

Her gaze froze upon the numbers like they were attached with magnets, and Janet almost did not register Michael’s returned presence beside her. He shoved the untouched scrolls off the table unceremoniously and paused for a beat.

“Anyone notice I was gone?” 

“Nope,” she quipped without looking up. Neither of them spoke for what felt like hours. 

Michael cleared his throat awkwardly. Chidi and Eleanor’s counters slowed for the time being—the dead of night in Australia—and he found himself oddly fidgety. 

“How are…they?” he asked with a noncommittal wave in the direction of Jason and Tahani’s counters. 

“You should probably be tallying up their totals before she finds out you left,” she said sharply, continuing to withhold eye contact. She won’t look at Jason’s numbers, but she smoothed out the tape with her fingers gently. 

He scooted his chair closer to her awkwardly and rested his hand upon hers, settling his gaze on the complicated mechanics of the tickers. She was warm in an almost human way, and he felt her hand still trembling. 

“He needs you. Bonding with you brought out his true compassion and I think—”

“Jason’s attachment to me was purely a fluke from your mismanaged first attempt at the Neighborhood, not to mention his limited understanding of morality itself that give him absolutely zero chance of improving on his own.”

“On his own.”

“He needs the other humans to be better himself.”

“No, Janet,” said Michael, quickly rising from his chair, “He needs you. The other humans reinforced his desperate need to develop self-restraint and impulse control, but you gave him the push in the right direction.” 

Janet finally met his gaze from where she sat, concern wracking her expression. 

“He needs you. And you need him.” 

~ 

Janet peaked out from above the laminated menu she held in front of her face like a disguise. 

“What d’ya mean you aren't serving Stupid Nick’s Wing Explosion anymore?!” said a goofy yet exasperated voice coming from an even goofier figure in a Jaguars jersey standing in the restaurant in front of a cashier who obviously didn't get paid enough for this. 

“Look, man, we just had this huge investigation from the Health Department a few weeks ago, and all the stuff on the old menu is on hiatus for right now, okay? Now, can I offer you a side of kale chips with that?” 

The man in the jersey sighed dejectedly and thanked the cashier before sulking off. 

Though, not before he noticed a steaming fresh carton of Stupid Nick’s Wing Explosion resting in the middle of an empty table in his favorite booth (the one where he and Pillboi came up with his DJ name and many absurd schemes after that). A discarded menu sat beside it, but the previous customer was nowhere to be found.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize if this seems a little rushed! I got a bit caught up in getting past where the finale left us off. Feedback appreciated so I can make each chapter even better than the last! <3


End file.
